In Media Res
by Wierdkid20
Summary: Because sometimes we don't see everything thats going on, Oneshots and side stories from the series Vulgaris Adamas
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, so here's some fics that take place in between chapters of Seditionis Adamas specifically. this request came from October Heart. Enjoy!**

Yellow Pearl couldn't accept being idle. It wasn't quite written into her programming but all through her life the most stressful had been when she could do nothing. So she checked in on the ship. She had gone to the barn alone initially but now she was being followed.

Pumpkin had been a constant presence throughout the ship building, though even with explanation Yellow wasn't entirely sure how her existence was even possible. Usually Pumpkin stuck close to the Crystal Gems or Blue who had been much more initially accepting of her general organic weirdness. Apparently when no one else was around though, that point was completely moot.

Pumpkin wouldn't leave her alone, not that she was being obstructive by any meaning of the word, actually the quadrupedal gourd was being quite helpful, collecting various tools that had been left out and bringing them to her. Yellow Pearl would put them away and Pumpkin would whine for a few moments before leaving and returning with another piece of equipment. Eventually Yellow Pearl exited the ship and headed for the warp pad only to be stopped once again by Pumpkin this time holding a protrusion from one of the organic plants on the planet.

"While I appreciate your help earlier, I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that." Yellow Pearl said, feeling a little bit ridiculous talking to a non sapient creature. Pumpkin dropped it at her feet and barked at her. While she wasn't as fervent about her hatred of organics as her Diamond, Yellow Pearl did understand her disdain. How was she supposed understand that?

"She wants you to throw it for her." Lapis Lazuli said. Yellow Pearl squawked, not having heard the other gem land behind her.

"What?!" She said, too startled to even bother to try to remember the proper term of address for a Lazuli. Lapis picked up the stick and handed it to her.

"Just throw it, like over there or something." Lapis said gesturing towards the barn. Yellow pearl looked at the stick in her hand, then at an eager looking pumpkin and then at lapis who looked at her expectantly. Yellow Pearl threw said stick gently so that it landed a few feet away. Pumpkin barked excitedly and ran after it. She picked up the stick and ran back over to Yellow Pearl and dropped it at her feet again. Yellow Pearl glanced at Lapis again who was smiling fondly at Pumpkin.

"She just wants to play, it got quiet again all of the sudden out here." She said.

"And this is..enjoyable for her?" Yellow Pearl asked, lapis' had a reputation for being flightly and incredibly stuck up. This one, a Lapis Lazuli and Blue Diamonds chief terraformer nonetheless, seemed to be neither of those things.

"I guess, Steven taught her how and now she bugs me and Peridot to play with her all the time." Lapis said with a shrug "If you want to stop just tell her no, she'll get the hint, she's very smart."

Yellow Pearl almost asked what possible intelligence an animated piece of organic plant life could have. But, due to the fact that the planet was 75% water, and Lapis seemed to be attached to said organic plant life, she refrained. Yellow threw the stick again.

"You really enjoy this?"

"Enjoy what?" Lapis asked leaning up against a nearby tree, watching Pumpkin.

"Being... here, you're not doing anything." Yellow said.

"Nope, and it's great," Lapis said folding her arms. "Court was exhausting, and now..." Yellow Pearl didn't need her to finish the sentence. Homeworld had advanced a lot in the millenia following the rebellion on earth and it wasn't just those who had been separated from it that were overwhelmed by those differences. Yellow threw the retrieved stick again, it was something to do.

 **I can't promise any kind of regular update schedule for it but I will definitely take requests for it here and in the main fic. let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I told myself I wasn't going to post this until I got the next chapter of Prelude and the request for steven talking with the other rose quartzes. but...I have poor impulse control and honestly this is pretty much just a repost from the tumblr. It takes place shortly after the scene in Rosea Margarita in which Pink and Yellow Pearl go searching for Domina after she runs away on homeworld. I mostly wanted to write it to show that Domina and Yellow Diamond get along, something we know they do now. any way, I still think it's a fun little fic. as a reminder the blog is open for in character asks for the week of July 9th.**

 **enjoy! see you next time!**

Yellow and White Diamond didn't see eye to eye on many matters and even after the incident at the nursery when differences in their ideologies finally came to a head, Domina still often spoke out against the older diamonds views on lower gems.

This was infuriating on Yellow Diamonds part, anything she said, could turn into a debate that always ended with one of them stomping off in frustration. A question was all it could take to spark an argument and of course Domina was full of them.

"What's a light kite?" Domina asked, she had been tasked with looking through the records of the empires previous battles. Immediately the 3 hour explanation lept into Yellow's mouth, but she stopped herself.

'Summarize Yellow' White had told her many many times 'I don't care that much.'

"They're a short ranged scout ship, you should have been able to pick that up from context."

"Well yes obviously but..oh nevermind." Domina said with a frustrated huff, burying herself back in the terminal. Yellow Diamond hesitated and nearly let the matter drop then and there but she braced herself and decided to continue the conversation.

"What do you want to know?" She asked. Domina looked up at her, glanced back at her terminal and then back at Yellow Diamond who was doing her best to remain patient with the young diamond. Blue had been much better at this. White Had been better at this. The other two often joked that Yellow emerged impatient. Her attempts in mentoring both Pink and Blue had been disastrous to say the least. But now, she was the only one left to teach Domina.

"Well, how do they handle? How fast can they go?" The girl asked. Yellow brought up the schematics to send to her, then stopped herself.

"Follow me, I'll just show you." Yellow Diamond said standing. Domina quickly rose up to follow her, Pearl got the door and Yellow Diamond led Domina across the building to her personal hanger.

There were actually a few models of Light Kites there, Yellow approached the newer of them, and gestured for the door to the ship to open. Yellow could see the excitement pouring off of Domina and smirked slightly as she watched the young diamond dash inside. Both pearls waited by the door back into the main building.

"We'll be back, stay here." Yellow Diamond said, she let her gem glow and shrunk to maybe a third of her size.

"Yes my diamond!" her Pearl said. Domina's merely bowed.

Inside the ship Domina was inspecting the flight control panel with fascination. Yellow smiled slightly and tapped out the command to open the hanger.

"Do you know how to pilot a ship?" Yellow Diamond asked. Domina startled and turned to look at her then froze and stared at her. "What?" Yellow asked with a frown.

"You.. but.. nevermind. We're having a moment." she leaned to the other end of the flight panel and started up the ship. "I've piloted the drop ship darts before back home"

"Well this the same basic principle, just lighter. Who taught you?"

"The nephrite's.. they rigged up one of the simulators they use to train the rubies when I was 6, I used to play with it all the time" Yellow Diamond didn't respond. Nephrite's rarely flew light kites, but if you were going to learn from anyone they would be the gem to teach you. "Why?" Domina asked defensively.

"Just curious," Yellow lowered herself into the captain's chair. "Go ahead, take it out." She pulled up the auxiliary control panel just in case. Domina's face went serious, an expression that reminded Yellow so much of White. Domina read off pre flight checks with the business like manner of a Peridot giving a report. Yellow felt the shift as the thrusters revved and then idled towards the hangar door. They cleared homeworlds atmosphere a few moments later. Once they were in open space Domina turned back and gave Yellow a wide mischievous grin that reminded her of the other end of the authority's previous symbol.

Yellow raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ask a question.

Right before Domina jumped to hyperspeed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Clearing out stuff I've already written from the doc, hopefully this will encourage me to write more of them or atleast to finish the 4 side stories I have on deck. This was originally going to be part of a bigger work but I ran out of steam on it. still pretty complete though. Some of it you have read before though!**  
 **Hope you enjoy!**

I need to understand why Pink was so interested in these simple creatures. Perhaps this is more of an effort to pull myself out of the fog that has clouded Yellow and Blue after Pinks Death. I will make arrangements to visit the zoo in the next few months.

Pink's Pearl is.. less than ideal but she performs her tasks adequately enough that I can't be bothered to complain. Moss Agate has reported that the base work on one of Yellow's colony planets is complete so the fleet will be moving on to the next planet 19-H25.

19-H25 will be an outer planet of mine where thankfully we will finally be able to produce some beryls, the war has severely depleted our stores of not only quartzes and rubies but also Beryls, Corundums and Silicates. The other fleet sections have been focused on corundum production and silicates as always are simply made when every item in the universe rotates in perfect harmony.

At this point I would take any scrap of harmony the universe was willing to offer.

* * *

The trip to the zoo had some unintended consequences. I perhaps should I have waited longer, but if the Agate incharge of the station noticed any idiosyncrasies in my behavior, she wisely did not mention it. Pink's pearl for her part only seemed mildly distressed by the trip. I didn't visit Pink's room, didn't really see the point. I did however speak to two of the kunzites that were in charge of the humans directly, the work at the zoo has been split since the gems originally manufactured for the purpose have been removed. At my request the Kunzites removed one of the creatures so that I could get a better look at them. This one, a male of the species was not particularly happy to be removed, I couldn't understand his barks but the things he was attempting to say definitely didn't sound complementary. I crouched to his level and had the kunzites remove his restraints. The human rushed me not unlike an angry quartz and was quickly pulled back. Most unusual of all, instead of cowering when punished by his handlers he simply sneered at them and turned his attack on them. He was easily by a blow to the head. I won't pretend I don't know who landed said blow, but I do feel that perhaps it would be in the empires best interests if we stopped pretending that Pearls are completely harmless, especially considering recent events.

It was at that point that I almost left the station, but I would have been lying if my curiosity was sated. So I instructed the kunzites that I would be taking the human with me for the time being and to give all necessary information to Pink's Pearl.

She will be in charge of his well being, and while even now I cannot be sure that this idea will work, at the very least his presence on board the ship should be some sort of distraction.

* * *

I'm starting to wonder if the human is more trouble than it's worth to satisfy some amount of curiosity brought on by grief

One of the storage rooms in my quarters had to be redone to accommodate being able to deal with organic life, he's somehow very argumentative with a majority of the crew that is aboard the dropship as we move out of the current planet. Which does not bode well when the full crew is on board within a few weeks.

I have not attempted to speak with him or really interact with him. I have been occupied with dealing with relocation efforts on homeworld. Not that it matters, from what Pink's pearl reports she hasn't had much success establishing two way communication.

Reports from other sections of the fleet are less than ideal. Positive results from this round of implantation were low. And the ground simply didn't have enough material left in it to accept a second one after the fact. I need to put Yellow on this project, perhaps a change in the injector formula is necessary, or perhaps we need to reevaluate our criteria. Again.

* * *

I was right about issues when the full crew was onboard. Moss Agate has lodged several complaints that he has reportedly stolen from the meager cloth stores along with multiple accounts of him being.. I suppose there isn't really any protocol in place for where a human should or should not go but he definitely should stay off the main bridge.

Perhaps it would be for the best if I returned him to the zoo or perhaps just throw him out the nearest airlock, may be less messy-

I redact my previous statement I was just informed that a group of the new quartzes thought it would be a good idea to attempt to pull a Diamonds pearls from her duties, quite literally. The Amethysts have been dealt with and the human, while visibly injured seems to be functioning fine. One of my guard, Milky Quartz 9ZQ was present and mentioned that the human came to Pink's Pearl's defense, rather viciously. So I feel that for now he should stay.

Pink's Pearl has reported that since the incident there have been some limited success in establishing communication with the human. He is to be confined for now until the injuries he sustained have healed.

* * *

Yellow has set a cut of Peridots on the injector formula's so hopefully we'll have some sort of solution in the next decade or so. The latest figures from-

The human actually sought me up for the first time since his arrival. He simply walked in with Pink's pearl trailing behind him, the brace just came off his arm yesterday I don't believe he was supposed to be exercising it. He walked into the room craned his neck back to look at me and pointed at me and asked something in his native language. Pinks pearl could offer no translation. Frustrated the human dropped his hand and tapped his forehead. "Adamas?" he said "Diamond" I said understanding atleast his gesture. He tapped his forehead again and clumsily pronounced "Diamond" he then gestured to Pink's pearl who at this point was looking as mortified as one might expect. "Margehrita, Pearl" He said, his features portrayed that this was probably just voicing his thoughts aloud than any actual attempts at communication. Pinks Pearl redirected him away from my quarters soon after.

If basic communication can be established then perhaps this could be more interesting than I originally thought.

* * *

Vitus, the specific name for the human I have "borrowed" from Pinks zoo, seems rather more intelligent than I had initially suspected. He's curious about the kindergarden process and has made several observations likening it to the human's agricultural process, some research will need to be done into this "Crop rotation". He has been allowed, monitored, free range of the ship, something that will continue once we land on 19-H25.

Pink's Pearl mentioned that she found him in the Quartz's training room yesterday, apparently holding his own against one of the Milky Quartzes. Perhaps on earth he was some sort of soldier? My efforts to talk about his past life have been... less than successful, as he seems more interested in prying into mine. The next few planets on this list will be focusing on gem production for the other two's court's, Blue has requested sapphires and quartzes, which of course we don't have the materials to make at this time. I'm not entirely sure that it was Blue that submitted the request, Yellow has taken on much of her work and while I admire her desire to help, Blue needs to do her job, we're all processing the events of the war at our own pace, I understand this. But the empire can not be allowed to suffer more than it already has.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh man, I've had a vitus one shot planned for a long time and finally I got the inspiration/time/energy to work on it. and here it is! I have a few more in mind but it was glad to finally get this one out there.**

These were not the stars Vitus had grown up with. He couldn't pick out Cassiopeia, or Orion or Draco from any of the stars that lay behind the glass separating him from the blackness beyond. He could see a pink reflection in the glass and grimaced as he turned. Vitus had yet to lose his ever present shadow. And not for lack of trying.

The creatures that had originally stolen him from the fields outside his village, had been bigger than he was, and had possessed the strength of ten men. And they had needed it for all that he had fought against them. This one though this creature was as much like them as a bird was like a bear. It... She? She reminded him a lot like his younger sister, nervous and hiding away in the shadow of 5 older brothers. Anyway she had stuck to him, attempting to talk with him but mostly observing. Vitus turned to look at her.

"Am I dead?" He asked, not for the first time, it was something he had been wondering for a long time. Since he had found himself in the room with the moving floor, when his bulla had been taken and he had been dressed in this ridiculous outfit. "I suppose no one put coins on my eyes but I am afraid I don't even know where the Styx is to attempt a crossing." The figure blinked at him with the same face that his words often elicited.

" _I'm sorry."_ She said, her and words holding no meaning to him " _do you require nourishment? Or are you simply filling the silence?"_

Vitus sighed and gently knocked his head against the glass behind him. It was sturdy, pity. There were footsteps coming closer, marching. Vitus straightened slightly and turned to look towards the sound. There were more people aboard the... thing he was in. A ship maybe? One that didn't sail upon waves but through stars? That made as much sense as anything. But where was it going?

" _Human, perhaps it would be best if we made our way back to Whi-My Diamonds quarters."_ The pink creature said. " _I don't believe that irritating any quartzes or moss agate would be in your best interest."_ Vitus ignored what he couldn't make sense of and headed towards the sound. The pink one behind him let out a sound that was clearly one of irritation. Vitus smirked even as the giant purple colored creatures rounded the hallway toward him and the pink one. They stopped when they saw him but Vitus didn't. He was done being afraid of them.

" _What the... Is that a human?"_ One of them said. She had a purple gem set into their face where her nose would be.

"What are you?" Vitus asked knowing very well they didn't understand him.

" _Huh_ " another one said a similar gem was set into her knee. " _Is it trying to speak?"_

Vitus approached them glancing at the gem that definitely seemed to be attached. The same as the other creatures that had captured him initially. "What does it mean that you are purple?"

" _Yo pearly!"_ Nose shouted " _what's_ _she sayin'?"_ Vitus frowned and turned back to face the pink one,he had heard that phrase or a form of it at least to refer to the pink one. She also had a gem though her's was clearly a pearl, set into her stomach. She was also a servant of some sort. He had been around enough slaves in his time to pick up on the subservient manner that she generally spoke in.

" _I am not sure yet."_ Pink said, she had gone tense, her eyes flickering between Vitus and the purple creatures. She wanted out of the room clearly but was apparently bound to stay with Vitus by her giant... master. That was another interesting thought. What was he doing here?

If he wasn't dead and this was all real why had that Giant Woman taken him, especially after he had tried to attack her. It wasn't as if they were planning on eating him. He had been observing Pink as much as he had been observed by her and had figured out that whatever kind of creature she was she didn't need to eat.

" _Well sounds like your doing a bang up job."_ Knee's voice was clearly sarcastic. She had leaned down to inspect him, like he might have looked at a lost goat back home. She smiled at him patronizingly. Vitus frowned back unamused.

" _White Diamond doesn't seem to have a problem with my progress."_ From his vantage point he saw Knee's smile drop.

" _White Diamond took you in cause it would be a waste of resources otherwise. You should have shattered with your Diamond. Our Diamond."_ Nose had glanced back to look at him as the tension in the room suddenly grew. Vitus took a step back, already watching for posture changes. He didn't know what was going on but something told him this wasn't going to end well.

" _I... cannot control the circumstances under which I came into my diamonds service."_ Pink's voice was shaking, like his sisters had when the neighbor boy had picked on her. Vitus shifted his weight carefully, he was out of practice, extremely out of practice. But gods, he had wanted to even the odds on these creatures for a long time. Nose snorted at him.

" _Are you trying to fight me human?"_ Shr asked. She put up her fists, each bigger than his head, like his oldest brother would play with his son.

" _Please leave him alone, he doesn't understa-"_

" _Please, 8JK isn't gonna hurt him."_ Knee stood up behind him. " _But who in stars name do you think you are. You're a second string pearl, diamond or no you've got no business ordering around Amethysts."_ The purple giant moved towards Pink threateningly. Vitus' attack was less, soldier who had successfully graduated from basic training and more, farm boy who had decided that he had had enough of standing around, mouth agape and had to act. He launched himself at Nose, who was closer to Pink and swung wildly at her jaw. The creature flailed backwards but he held on tight to her back as she tried to shake him.

" _Frack! Get it off!"_ Nose shouted reaching at him. Vitus was grabbed roughly from behind and he kicked backwards, catching Knee in the stomach.

"Oof! _You little-_ " Knee ripped him off of noses back and Vitus hit the side of the wall with his arm with a crack. His arm went numb. He didn't have time to focus on the pain. Instead he yanked against the creatures hold on his waist and fell to the ground. Vitus rolled to his feet and jumped at the creatures legs, planting the shoulder of his bad arm right into the purple gem set into her knee.

Knee crumpled with a shriek. Nose rushed him. Vitus threw up his good arm in some sliver of defense. And then suddenly he was mid air again. A grey hand had grabbed him by the back of his blue vest.

" _What in stars name is going on here?"_ Vitus craned his head back to see the new creature. She looked like the purple ones, vaguely, but her hair was kinkier, and her form a little less round. She had a gem as well, this one set into her arm muscle. She glanced down at Vitus puzzled, then looked back at the purple ones. " _You are no longer on the front lines, clods. You will not be scrapping on a fleet vessel like a bunch of rubies."_ She spoke with the air of a commanding officer. Like a legionnaire.

" _That thing attacked us!"_

" _That 'thing' is property of our diamond. Along with her pearl."_ There was that word again. And Pink stiffened slightly when it was said. She looked shaken, and was staring at Vitus with a pale expression. It probably had not been a good thing that he had gotten hurt. He had no idea how he was going to fix it. Thankfully his heart was still racing enough to prevent the pain from creeping it's way into his brain. It still was as bad as spraining your ankle on a March, in full gear. " _I'll leave you to explain to moss agate why it's damaged and why her pearl was impeded in her duties."_ Vitus frowned and squirmed in an attempt to get out of Grey's grasp. She held firm though. Instead he slipped his arms out of the vest, Grunting in pain when he hit the ground. Pink squeaked in despair. Hopefully she wasn't going to get in trouble.

" _But-"_

" _No excuses quartz. Go. Now."_ Grey snapped. Pink was by his side in an instant, inspecting his arm as both purple beings left. " _Is he alright, Pearl?"_ Grey asked. She knelt down and handed over the ridiculous vest.

" _I...believe so."_ Pink said. Something came out of her pearl, a clear tube as pink as she was. " _I need to put this over your arm"_ she was trying to talk to him again. If he couldn't figure out what she was saying before, he definitely couldn't figure it out now. Vitus shook his head to indicate he didn't understand stand what she said. She grabbed at his arm and he hissed in pain, drawing away from him. " _Please, I need you to cooperate. The situations already bad enough."_ Pink pleaded. A pair of giant fingers snapped in front of his face.

" _Yo, human."_ Grey demanded his attention and he gave it, not knowing what else to do. She held the tube in front of his face, then pointed at his arm and stuck her hand in it. Vitus blinked and hesitantly lifted his ruined arm. Grey grinned widely and slipped the tube over his arm. The tube shrunk around him and he cried out as he felt bone grinding against bone. A moment later it felt like ice water was running through his arm and he finally felt the tensions start to leave his body. Pink looked like she was about to collapse.

" _Oh thank the stars, if you hadn't-"_

" _Don't worry about it Pearl, not any harder than teaching a ruby to use a blaster."_

" _Your cut?"_ Pink asked. Grey's ever present smile faded.

" _9ZQ_. _Though, if it's all the same to you I would prefer that this interaction went unmentioned to our diamond."_

" _Yes, of course."_ Vitus looked between them trying to make sense of...anything. He didn't know how long he was going to be here. He had to make a start somewhere.

"Eh... _Pearl_?" Vitus chanced the word, hoping it was actually a name, not a rank or anything less than savory. Pink's eyes went wide and she very slowly turned to look at him. He at least could recognize a sound of confusion when he heard one.

" _...Stars you're joking. That's what it took?"_ Pink said. Grey laughed.

" _Pearl?_ " He repeated "Gods, tell me if I'm saying it wrong, please, or something." Pink nodded, glanced briefly at Grey and pointed to herself.

" _Pearl_." She said. Then she pointed to him. " _Do you have an individual signifier?"_

" _They have those?"_ Grey looked at him curiously.

" _If I remember properly._ "

"Vitus." He said smiling. Pink, no... _Pearl_ looked relieved and smiled for the first time since Vitus had first met her.

"Vitus." She said, then slightly bowed towards him. " _Nice to meet you."_

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! been a while, I have had a great break, got settled into the new job and ...god I'm ready to get back to writing. So this was an... alternate ending to Seditionis. Actually this was what I was going to do originally, but it got thrown out for something that was more satisfying. Sorry if it's a little rusty, it's been awhile. Anyway, I plan to see you guys next monday with something else.. I'm not sure what. we'll see.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

The battlefield was more than quiet. Domina's actions, and the sight of not her, but White Diamonds gem, had frozen everything. Yellow Diamond had barely propped herself against the wall when Domina had barreled in. Others were scattered around the room, in various stages of shock. Pink Pearl's initial scream of horror had petered out. She was closest to the gem now and had pulled at Domina's tattered coat as if in a trance. Steven was next to her, staring at what he had done in watery eyed shock.

The door crashed open, and Yellow Diamond didn't register much beyond the fact that gems entered and defused. She should say something, anything, there were gems looking to her, looking to Blue and Blue Pearl. The impossible had just happened and... Yellow Diamond didn't know what to do. She stood, opening her mouth to speak and hoping that words would arrive when they were needed but was cut off by the sound of a gem reforming.

The white diamond rose from its place on the floor and everyone scrambled back as it shone and spun in the air. Blue Diamond practically ran back towards Yellow. The white light of a gem's physical form began to expand, and it's initial form was elegant, not unlike a pearls with it's long flowing skirt and sharply constrained hair. The form quickly shifted into something Yellow was more familiar with, high peaks of hair and a cape with wide shoulders and a high collar. There was a brief flash as White Diamonds form solidified and her feet touched the ground as light as air.

The oppressive stillness of the room was broken by sharp tension as the air currents slowed dramatically and White Diamond opened her eyes. Any words that Yellow may have been about to say died in her through. She looked up at White Diamond, as the gem cast her gaze over the room. No one spoke or even moved as White Diamond glanced at each of them, her face completely blank, breaking once into a small disapproving frown when she spotted White Pearl, pale faced, one hand clinging to Garnet for support. Finally she turned to Yellow and Blue Diamond.

"What happened?" White Diamond asked simply. Her words weren't particularly loud but they rang through the room as if she had shouted. Yellow saw felt the eyes of the room shift to her, because of course they did. It was always her, she was White's right hand. The one white trusted with everything important, and the one who had been entrusted with Domina's upbringing.

"White, there... Domina, she." Yellow knew what had happened, the sound of gem shards falling to the floor ran on repeat through her mind, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Expired, yes I understand that Yellow, I'm not an ignorant clod." White glanced down and gingerly nudged the pile of Domina's clothes with her foot. "I asked, what happened?" White looked back up at Yellow, then panned her pale gaze over to Blue. "What could possibly have happened to the child that would have ended in me reforming!?" Yellow flinched and allowed Blue to take her hand. She looked at the other gems, she knew exactly how this should go next.

She should place the blame on the obvious rebels, then get out of here while White cleaned up.

"Domina... tried to save me," Steven spoke up, his voice was strained and still gooey from tears. "She tried to save all of us and she... I couldn't..."

White stared down at Steven and by proximity Connie with a faint frown of disdain.

"Blue, what are these organics doing here?" White continued, eyes focused on Steven. Blue's mouth opened and shut a few times, she looked at Yellow, eyes wild in terror.

Good, she should be scared, this is all her fault. She was the one that had lashed out, gotten them stuck on earth, gotten Red shattered, and ultimately was the reason all of this was going to implode.

"Blue?" White repeated. The Crystal gems were moving towards Steven, the idiots. Her and Blue's Pearl clung to each other tightly, bracing themselves for the ending of all of this. Maybe shattering if they were lucky.

Only Pink's Pearl hadn't moved, she was still crumpled on the floor, clutching Domina's jacket. Would white even take her back now, a pearl having a third owner was unheard of and-.

"Blue!" White snapped pivoting on one foot to turn to face the two of them. The room in flinched and Pink's pearl... No just Pink, looked up, tensions flying to her face, emotions draining from her face. Steven stumbled to his feet.

"It's not her fault, we-"

"Quiet, Human." White said, holding a hand up, the air around the room went stiller, Steven's breath caught and he had to sit back down.

"White Diamond leave him alone!" White Pearl stepped forward, holding her spear defensively. White Diamond didn't even look at her, just raised a hand and the air around her compressed immediately, a more practiced version of what Domina had done before. White Pearl's gem dropped to the floor.

"White, they're with me!" Yellow said stepping forward this couldn't happen. She couldn't allow this to happen. "All of them! Stop this now." White turned an impassive glare back to her. And Yellow's certainty faltered. "Please." Yellow amended.

"White Diamond please." Steven begged, glancing at pearls gem terrified. "Just calm down. We...we can explain, I can explain."

"Human, I have no interest in what you have to say, please cease your chattering." White Diamond said, still focused on Yellow Diamond.

"He-" Yellow began, Connie interrupted her.

"He's not Human, he's half gem, just like Domina w-" Yellow saw White's shoulders tense and the air restricted again, forming a solid column around Connie.

"I said." White Diamond said turning to face the humans again. "That I was not interested in your-" Yellow didn't even remember moving. Blue still clung to her arm, and all she could feel around her was ozone and the crackled of electricity.

Steven caught Connie and held her as the human girl forced the now free air back into her lungs.

The gem fell to the ground, once again inert. Someone bubbled it, and sent it away. Blue stood next to her and conversations went on around her. And around Pink.

In the end nothing had changed. They still had work to do. And Homeworld still had to be rebuilt. Even if it only had one diamond to do that with.


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, its been a bit since there was a non-plot related short story, but I've been busy with Inter and working on the next fic. Somehow though I managed to write this unplanned short one shot. so here you are, it's un beta'd but hopefully the fact that it's vitus helps balance it out.**

Vitus hadn't expected he would ever have children. He did not relish the idea of being tied down, of being stuck to the same plot of land and town for his whole life like his father had been. Of course life rarely went the way one expected it to. And Domina was not your average child by any sense of the word.

But she was close enough to child, and he still knew how to take care of one, which was probably the only reason he was still here among the stars instead of stuck in that... place. Here he could keep her as she grew, and as she did he couldn't help but look for pieces of his family within her.

In many ways she reminded him of his younger brother, Amulius. He was smart, had worked hard so that he could go to athens to study natural philosophy. When he was four he would come back daily with pouches of interesting things he had found. Domina would often return from her excursions outside the base with enough rocks to supply a catapult but she had so many different names for each of them, and spoke of them like the peridots did.

There were also hints of his mother, Marcella, in her laugh, his sister, Iulia, in the way she tried to keep up with everyone around her. And in her impulsiveness he saw his older brother, Martinus. All of it made him homesick. Talking helped, he did his best to to alleviate it by telling Domina stories of his childhood, stories of the gods and the great heroes of legend. That was the only time he saw the scraps of White that everyone in the fleet searched for within his daughter. Those intense eyes searching for deeper meanings as she absorbed every word he had to say. That furrowed brow of confusion when she was about to argue, yet again, that what Juno had done was unfair.

Pearl was usually the one that could coax her into bed. She easily placated her with the promise that "Answers are easier to find when your mental faculties are completely functional." And then she would hum softly to her, songs that Vitus still after so many years found so strange.

He said a quiet prayer to Morpheus for peace within her dreams, as he always did. Then added a quick prayer to Hestia, to keep his family safe, all of it, where ever they were.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey Guys, it's been a bit hasn't it? Life has been a bit rough but I've still been plugging along at my various projects, and Domus Di is still one of them. but I also have had this 'short' fic in my head for a while and decided to spend some time writing it out. it was very... therapeutic. Mossy is one of my favorite characters and so writing from her perspective was a nice change. Thanks to Mandalore for betaing for me.**

 **And thanks for sticking around guys, and I hope you like this and I will see you next time.**

"Within the twelfth year she should have a complete understanding of the fleets interworkings," White Diamond said. From Moss Agate's point of view, she was trying to make up for the fact that she was required to stay at a more standard size during her pregnancy by filling up the available space with pacing and in general the kind of overdramatic soliloquies she was known for.

There were three of them in the room. White Diamond, herself and Pink Diamonds former Pearl. Thankfully the human was elsewhere. Moss Agate didn't know where but she did know that he had been spending a lot of time planetside and coming back covered in mud. Whatever it was, it wasn't her problem.

"You suspect it will only take twelve years?" Moss Agate asked.

"You doubt that she will be capable?" White Diamond raised an eyebrow, pivoting on her heel. As always, Moss tread carefully.

"Well theoretically your radiance should take precedence but she will be organic." At one time White Diamond had held a distaste for organics that rivaled on abhorrence. This had evidently changed. And not just slightly.

White diamond pursed her lips. "I'm confident in what I have seen of Vitus, she will be more than capable." White diamond waved off the thought and the softness that had been creeping into her face when she mentioned the human. Moss Agate didn't frown, though she wanted too. The human was... complicating things in more ways than one.

"If I might ask my diamond, what do you plan to have us do with her progenitor?"

White Diamond frowned. "He will return to the zoo after the child departs to Homeworld of course, By then his health will have entered a decline and I want to ensure that he is receiving as much care as possible." Moss Agate nodded, thank the stars. It didn't escape her notice that when her Diamond mentioned the human and it's fate, her pearl flinched. A piece of information to file away for later. You never know when that might be useful.

* * *

Moss Agate wasn't entirely sure what she had been expecting the creature White Diamond gave up her existence for but it certainly wasn't this.

"Mossy!" Vitus cheered when she entered the section of the ship that had been sequestered off for the raising of the diamond. Moss Agate pursed her lips and nodded.

"Vitus." there was a great amount of thudding and scrambling before the hybrid thundered into view. She made a lot of noise for something so small. Pink Diamonds former Pearl followed her poised at the ready to catch her should she fall. "My Diamond." Mossy bowed.

"Ssy!" The child said, smiling widely and 'running' towards her. Being hugged on the leg by a diamond was a very odd sensation but she wasn't going to complain.

"Domina," Vitus said, chiding the diamond in a very brave way for someone that was essentially a glorified pet. "You're supposed to be napping."

The change on the diamond's face was instantaneous, it contorted into a pout that... other gems, definitely not Moss Agate, would have referred to as 'cute'.

"No somno." She whined.

"She was just settling down when the door opened," Pearl said in a way that could almost be considered accusing. If pearls were capable of assigning blame. A flash of another pearl, holding her at sword point in the assumption that she was going to prevent her from getting back to her precious quartz. Blame was probably the least this one was capable of.

"It's alright," Vitus said before picking up the diamond. "I can put her down."

"Nooo." The diamond whined going limp in his arms as they exited the room.

"She had progressed much faster than White-" Moss paused in her musing and frowned. "Than her _mother's_ predictions." She would have to make a note of that. "If we can move up the project timeline then we'll have to notify the zo-"

"Which predictions?" Pearl interrupted her. Moss paused and looked at her briefly in surprise.

"Well she is only 18 months into her development but capable of large scale motor movements and coherent speech, a full six months ahead of schedule. At this rate she should be ready to continue her education with Yellow Diamond in less than 10 years once additional training in these areas is given."

"That's not exactly how humans work." Pink Pearl said, her hand nervously wringing

"Ah is that the reason you're continuing to serve White Diamond in her new incarnation. Your expert knowledge of humans?" Moss Agate asked, how far would this pearl test the waters? She had been in the periphery for nearly two decades and now she had the potential, as one of the diamonds key caretakers, to be one of the most powerful gems in the empire, especially after the human was returned to the zoo.

"Not..I.." Pink pearl frowned pursed her lips and her facade as the perfectly innocent pearl had returned. Pity.

"Did you need something Mossy or were you just visiting," Vitus asked, his voice now at a lower register than before.

"I simply-" Mossy began at her usual volume before lowering it once she received two of the most ferocious glares she had ever seen on sapient creatures. "Was curious about your plans to go down on planet to assist with the survey. Will White Diamond not require care? Or do you plan for her to accompany you?"

"OH no, Domina's still too young, but she'll be fine, Pearl said she could take care of her for the day," Vitus said grinning at his counterpart. Pearl smiled softly, no doubt pleased with the trust put in her. However, Vitus's statement did bode well.

"Ah, so you do agree that she is developing well ahead of schedule," Moss asked doing her best to ignore the way Pink pearl was bristling. Vitus smiled bemusedly.

"Oh certe, my younger sister walked early too." He shrugged. "Domina's a little more off-balance though." Moss Agate pursed her lips in thought. Maybe eleven years old then. She brought out her screen and retrieved the detailed outline that White Diamond had dictated to her and turned it to Vitus.

"According to this then that does mean that we should be able to transition planetside and begin her education regarding the primary functions of the fleet in roughly another year and a half."

Vitus Blinked confused, looked at the file, then back at Moss. "I uh... I cannot read that but that's a... little soon. She's still very young and has a lot to learn before we can just turn her loose on a planet."

"Well, White Diamonds instructions were clear- Why are you laughing?"

"White didn't know the first thing about humans. I'm sure she had plenty of information from the zoo," The quirk of Vitus's lips downwards didn't escape Moss Agates notice. "But that's not a substitution for what children are actually like."

"Well then just what are children 'actually like'?" Moss Agate asked folding her arms.

"A _tabula rasa_ an empty pot, pick a metaphor you like. Domina's not going to follow any kind of projections that's the only thing I'm sure of." The human was confident for something that was more than a head shorter than her. "She's not a gem, she doesn't have a purpose that she knows from the beginning. And I don't know why we should use Whites expectations to measure her, especially since White's not even here!"

Moss Agate glanced at Pink Pearl who didn't look entirely insulted by the idea that in instructions her diamond- former diamond? Former former diamond? Had left should be discarded. Meaning Vitus had expressed this sentiment before. And it wasn't... entirely abhorrent to Moss Agate. But from Moss Agate's personal experience there was only so far that you could deviate from a diamond's instructions before there was trouble.

"Hm, well White Diamond," Moss said pointedly "will still have a purpose, and expectations put on her just like any of us. Higher of course but she must be able to live up to them."

Vitus chuckled. "Domina will be fine Mossy, she just needs time to learn."

* * *

They moved on planet 4 years after White diamonds birth. Not ahead of schedule, Vitus had been right, at 3 years of age White diamond was definitely not ready for life on a colony planet, she was still rather... obstinate and prone to screaming when overtired which was rather terrifying considering her mother's penchant for silent disapproval.

Their first year on the planet was interesting. White Diamond quickly sought out playmates amongst other gems, with Milky Quartz 9ZQ and her pearl in tow. Moss did hear from the other agate that there was an uptick in infractions from the quartzs. Tardiness, rowdy behavior, overland transportation racing, and while no one was going to admit that White Diamonds appearance was what was responsible, more and more of the fleets supervisors came to her in a panic because White Diamond had started to cry when the quartzes or rubies were being chastised for running through the halls of the base. Especially because she was _also_ running through the halls.

Thankfully Vitus was adept at making sure the young diamond was occupied. He had human ideas he wished to teach her and if it allowed the base to function more smoothly then Moss Agate was more than willing to let him take care of her. And so as it often does in the middle stages of colonization, as the Apatites come back with the first maps of the hemisphere, and the first injectors are set in the most promising regions, time began to mean much less. Moss Agate was busy, there were Peridots to direct, Bismuths to keep on task and Beryls to firmly remind that their projects would be begun in the order decided by white diamond at the outset. The previous white diamond. Stars, this was confusing.

The current White Diamond though was not far from her attention. She grew quickly, far quicker than Moss Agate could have predicted. Soon enough she towered over her Ruby playmates, became more than a handful for the quartzes and was comfortably at eye level with whichever poor morganite had been pressed to teaching about era 1 poetry and art.

And it was there on planet surrounded by other gems that Moss Agate realized that perhaps she did underestimate the idea that White Diamond would only take 12 years to mature. Despite being half organic, or perhaps because of it, she learned faster than a fresh from the ground quartz learned her purpose. And she learned everything, not just gem glyph and mathematics, by how to set an injector drill, how to repair power generators, and though starts and stops, how to fight.

Any coding that she may have had was overridden by the potential that Vitus had said she had. As much as it pained Moss Agate to admit, the human was right.

8 years since the birth of the new white diamond, during the planets 168th night cycle there was a knock at the door to her office.

"Enter." Moss Agate said without looking up, most likely it was one of the Beyrls and it did annoy them when she didn't immediately acknowledge them. It was petty for her to enjoy that but she so rarely did get to be petty.

"Mossy, are you busy?" White Diamond asked. The annoyance of Vitus's nickname registered half a moment before the voice did, Moss Agate spun around quickly.

"No no, my diamond, I apologize I hadn't realized you were at the door." Moss Agate said. White Diamond, dressed in what Moss Agate was pretty sure were her sleep clothes, smiled in a way that could be called shy. "I...believe it is your rest period." Moss Agate continued hesitantly.

"It is..." White Diamond said, she closed the door behind her then climbed into the chair next to Moss Agates. "I couldn't sleep though." She folded her legs neatly under her, not unlike how her pearl did.

"I see, is there something particularly on your mind my diamond?" Moss asked turning to give the child her full attention. The new White Diamond's face did not hide emotions nearly as well as the former ones. Her mouth instantly twisted in thought when she was questioned, lines creased her forehead around the inset of her gem.

"Why..." She began then stopped, her face twisting again. Generally, when White Diamond came to her with questions it was something more along the lines of asking permission to go with the rutile surveying crew, or asking who would know about the intricacies of the dropship navigation system. It was also worth notice that her pearl was not with her, which meant that White Diamond had intentionally dodged her. Moss Agate leaned forward with interest.

"Why do gems have programming?" White Diamond said, finally deciding on a way to phrase her question. Moss Agate blinked and turned to open her notes from their lessons on gem creation.

"Well, it's a binary reaction that takes place during the first half-century of implantation. Dependent upon the enzymes present in both the injection site and the-"

"No, no, no! I know that." the Diamond frowned and twisted her face in frustration, pursed lips narrowed eyes. "But why?"

"Why..." Oh, stars. Moss Agate was capable of many things, far above her intended programming. Philosophy though, philosophy was different. "Why are gems made with a purpose?"

"Yes." White Diamond said firmly. Her hesitance and irritation had morphed into resolve. "And if they were made with a purpose, why do they not always follow it, or like it?" She sat up straighter in her chair. The resolve had turned her face into her mothers, serious with a piercing gaze that could pull the truth from your programming. Sometimes literally.

Moss Agate closed the notes and carefully turned weighing her options. White Diamond in her "infinite" wisdom, had provided an answer.

"Because it would be cruel to bring life into this universe with no purpose." She had written clearly in her instructions. An unusually sentimental statement that made Moss Agate wonder if perhaps she too had once asked this question.

But it wasn't an answer really, just reasoning. Still, you could only deviate from a diamonds plans so much before there was trouble.

The White Diamond now was looking at her expectantly. Moss Agate sighed and repeated what her order had been. The words feel insincere and awkward in her mouth, and they land even more awkwardly on the diamond child's furrowed brow.

"Humans don't." White Diamond said without a moment's hesitation.

Vitus had been, still was, a quartz thrown into the precisely order machine that was Moss Agate's running of the fleet. A being with no true purpose who insisted on insinuating himself into places where he had no true purpose.

And as much as Moss Agate hated to admit, he had provided her with an option here. A place to write in her own...views. Because the young diamond was right. Humans and other forms of sentient organic life did not have a preset program stating what tasks they were and were not capable of. And there was proof that gems were capable of going far beyond their programming. There had been proof shouting from the crystal system as loudly as possible less than two decades ago.

"Gems only have the programming that we give them." Moss Agate finally said. The young diamonds eyes lit up, apparently, that was more in line with the answer she was looking for. "Any gem is capable of learning to do any task, within reason." She smiled slightly "Your unlikely to have a ruby with lazuli wings."

White Diamond giggled. A stunning prospect to even consider, let alone hear.

"But, it is a matter of giving gems the opportunity to even develop basic capabilities." Moss Agate said. "It's not a quick matter, learning to pilot a ship, or defend a colony from bestial organics or build towering spires. It takes time and gems simply can't be spared to be allowed to learn what they're not intended for."

"I can." White Diamond was suddenly serious again.

"My diamond your case is quite different."

"I know but I'm still a gem!" White Diamond drew her legs up to her chest, hands worrying the fabric that covered her. "And so I should follow my purpose right?"

"And you will." Moss Agate had been present for many of the young diamonds emotional meltdowns but was still exactly how to handle them. She glanced at the screen, wondering if she could surreptitiously alert the diamonds pearl. Or even Vitus. "My Diamond, you are still young, and you are not like most gems." Moss Agate recalled some of the research she had read regarding human development. "All of your development is being done outside of the ground."

"Yes, yes, I know." White Diamond said morosely, she sat up straighter and looked at Moss Agate again with the gaze that seemed as if it should have untold millennia of experience behind it. Which was incredibly disconcerting coming out of someone who was barely taller than a jade. "But this isn't about me."

"Ah yes, of course not my diamond." Moss Agate said, resisting the urge to smile. "What has concerned you enough to pursue this line of question?"

"Ruby 7FT." the young diamond said simply. Moss Agate blinked. One of the rubies, not one she actually knew meaning this 7FT must not have been present in any disciplinary reports. Which was a feat in itself. But that did mean that she actually had no idea who the diamond was talking about.

White Diamond apparently realized that after a moment and sighed, sliding off the chair and moving between Moss and her desk. She brought up a personnel file with a few quick gestures, a ruby obviously, with her gem located directly in the center of her face. The ruby was a little familiar she supposed. She still wasn't entirely sure why White Diamond was so focused on a ruby.

"What about her?" Moss Agate asked, sliding back to give White Diamond her space.

"She's a guard for the maintenance shed in the north sector." the diamond said by way of explanation. That was an area that Moss Agate was pretty sure was off-limits to the child per Vitus. "And she showed me how to fix Mercury's leg! Can't she be a peridot or something?"

Moss Agate had to spend several moments puzzling out that statement. Mercury was, from what she could remember, a repurposed version 1 warp pad maintenance flask robonoid. This most recent iteration of the robonoids had issues with traction on yet to be terraformed worlds and navigation if they came untethered from the network. White Diamond had formed a bizarre emotional attachment to one that had wandered into her quarters by accident one day. Vitus seemed to regard this with amusement but had assured them it was normal.

Mercury's existence notwithstanding, the flask robonoids were notoriously hard to repair, especially once their legs had become detached and White diamond had been particularly put out at her robonoid being damaged. But now she was saying that a ruby had fixed it?

"I..." Moss Agate paused again before she finally managed to figure out how to phrase the first part of her rebuttal "A ruby cannot become a peridot."

"Well I know that." the young diamond rolled her eyes. "But why does she have to guard instead of helping fix more robonoids? She's already taken the time to develop basic capabilities."

"You are correct... assuming that she can do more than repair flask robonoids legs."

"I think she can." White Diamond said with an excited smile. "So? Can she work with the peridots and learn to make stuff, we were talking about the new two days ago and she thinks they could go _way_ faster."

"My Diamond," Moss Agate said delicately. "It's not a simple thing to move a ruby from guard duty to base maintenance."

"Yes it is," White Diamond said, once again she opened 7FT's Personnel file and with a few gestures opened the reassignment panel. "you just have to change their supervisor and section!"

Moss Agate resisted the urge to yank the diamonds hand out of the screens reach before she did something irreversible. "If so," She said evenly, "why didn't you make the change already?"

White Diamond frowned and sighed with dramatics enough to put a pearl to shame "Pater said that I shouldn't adjust personnel records without your say so."

Once again Moss Agate was more thankful to Vitus than she was entirely comfortable with.

"I appreciate your concern my diamond, it would be very hard for 7FT to change positions, or more accurately it would be hard for the base to accept that."

"Why?" White Diamond looked puzzled. This was one of the moments that highlighted to Moss Agate just how far removed she was from a gem, this kind of question would have been unthinkable from a jet or a goshenite

"Gems aren't always so accepting of gems that work above their intended purpose." Moss Agate explained patiently. Ambition was not a trait prized in agates and Moss Agates road to this position was difficult enough, she shuddered to think what it would be like for a ruby.

"Well I'll help her," White Diamond said firmly. "They can't argue with me right? I'm a diamond."

"This... is certainly true." Moss Agate said, it was endearing how much she wanted to help and... well, her rise to her position in the fleet had certainly been helped with a diamond.

The door opened to reveal Vitus, eyes wild with worry.

"Mossy have you seen-" He began, only to notice the young diamond, still standing next to Moss Agate's terminal, now looking very sheepish. "Oh, Domina you are supposed to be asleep!"

"I know.. paenitet, Pater" White Diamond said stepping away from the console. Vitus sighed in response and smiled at Moss Agate.

"Well at least you weren't getting into trouble, I am sorry if she distracted you Mossy."

"She is not a distraction, Vitus." Moss Agate clipped her words in annoyance. And brought up a meeting request form. " My Diamond, I will speak to 7FT's agate and new supervisor tomorrow, if you will accompany me." White Diamonds face lit up with a smile and she rushed forward to hug Moss Agate.

"Yes! Thank you!"

"Er, yes," From the doorway Vitus gave her an amused smile, which Moss returned with rolled eyes. "I will speak with you tomorrow then my diamond."

"See you tomorrow Mossy!" White Diamond said dashing out of the room towards her father. "and you can call me Domina!"

* * *

As the Diamonds thirteenth birthday approached, an aura of unease fell over the primary section of Homeworld's colonization fleet.

In a few short months, Domina would be leaving for Homeworld. She had been such a pervasive part of life on the backwater planet that Moss agate was having problems imagining what it would be like without her there at all.

And of course there was worry about well... what would happen when Domina spent time with Yellow Diamond, learning to take hold of a Diamonds duties in full. Would she still be the child they all knew?

There was another departure to consider though. Because White Diamond had been right, Vitus's health was beginning to decline. Not by much but Moss Agate did doubt that he could fight a quartz single-handedly to defend a pearl.

"Moss Agate, we need to speak." Pink Diamonds former pearl said walking into her office roughly 24 days before Domina was due to depart.

"Do we?" Moss Agate asked raising an eyebrow as she glanced at the pearl from behind her screen.

"We do." Pearl closed the door behind her, then turned, hands folded neatly in front of her.

"Does our diamond require something?" Moss Agate hazarded a guess, the pearl generally avoided her unless accompanying Domina around the base. But something told her she was not here for Domina's sake.

"Her father." the pink pearl said, her bravado fleeing from her to be replaced by nervousness.

"Her... no arrangements have been made for Vitus to accompany her to Homeworld." Moss Agate said, stars, had the child made such a request? Certainly not to her!

"I am aware but that is not what I mean." Pearl clarified quickly. "Vitus has no inclination to go to homeworld but he does not know that it's intended that he will return to the zoo."

Moss Agate relaxed, that was a different, more easily dealt with matter. "Well then inform him, I am surprised you have not already."

More indecision flitted across the Pearls face for a long moment.

"No." She said, finally breaking their momentary silence. Moss Agate blinked in surprise.

"No?" She asked, not out of anger, more so puzzlement. She couldn't remember the last time a pearl had said no to her. Well, that was a lie she could, it had involved a sword but this particular pearl had been different.

"No." Pearl said again, less hesitant this time, with more conviction. "I... will not put in the request for transit for him to the zoo."

Moss agate put away her screen and stared at the Pearl for a long moment. The Pearl didn't back down, she simply stared back. Finally, she gestured for the pearl to sit across from her, in a chair normally reserved for other Agates, elites, and of course, White Diamond.

The pearl sat carefully, on the edge, crossing her legs at the ankles and looking at Moss Agate expectantly.

"Why should he stay?" Moss Agate finally asked. "I will admit, not all of White Diamonds instructions for the raising of Domina have been followed, but the least we should do is honor her request regarding the human."

"As Vitus has pointed out many times, White Diamond is not here," Pearl said, her voice trembling slightly when she said the name of her owner. If going against a diamonds orders was difficult for Moss it had to be agony for her. "But he is, and his wishes have not been taken into account."

"His wishes are about the only thing that have been taken into account." Moss Agate said with a snort. In fact, his wishes were the reason Domina had been raised here in the middle of the empire's current omega quadrant, as opposed to somewhere closer to Homeworld's sphere of influence.

"But not regarding his future, he wants only the best for Domina, and we're to reward him by banishing him to the zoo."

"It's hardly banishment," Moss Agate scoffed. "The Zoo is a state of the art facility more than capable of caring for him as he ages, certainly better than we would here."

"But it's still captivity, can you honestly imagine Vitus stuck in the same place for the rest of his life?"

She had a point there. Vitus was practically infamous around the base for taking trips across planet with survey teams, or going on an extended patrol with a squad of quartzes, especially as Domina had aged and become more independent.

"Well, he has coped before. And we are not capable of sustaining him as his condition further deteriorates."

"We were capable of caring for an infant."

"An infant that happened to be the most powerful gem in the empire. We had a reason to keep Domina here, what would be Vitus's purpose."

"Why does he need one?" the pearls hands gesture wildly to the ceiling. A gesture unusual for a pearl, but not an organic that had had enough of someone telling them their own limits. "Moss Agate, he's done so much and he's not just an animal that can be penned!"

One of the most disconcerting feelings in the universe was being shouted at by a pearl, another was when said pearl was right. She did not generally agree with Vitus, approve of his presence or even like him.

The human had spent much of his time with the fleet being a variable that could not be planned for. He would bring situations to white diamond's attention, causing changes that were for the better but put timetables decades behind schedule. He caused as much disruption with the quartzes as Domina, teaching them games, and sparring with them even though he had no chance of winning.

And that was leaving out his responsibility for Domina's existence.

And yet.

Moss Agate sighed and glanced at the pearl who was looking at her with both hope and trepidation.

For all the problems he caused, she couldn't help but appreciate the concern Vitus had for all members of the fleet. It was something rare enough among gems, and he had no reason to care if Rutile 7TP was late back from her survey. He had no reason to hold tools and pieces of equipment for peridots or to stand up for a pearl being insulted by Quartzes.

Most of all, he had no reason to pass that care and concern on to Domina. And that was possibly the most valuable thing he had done.

"I suppose White Diamond does not know that he's to go to the zoo after she leaves?" Moss Agate asked.

Pink Pearl shook her head.

"Well I would hate to see her reaction when she comes back and he's not here."

Pink Pearl winced. "It would not be... pleasant."

"I imagine not. Very well. He will stay."

* * *

White Diamond returned to the fleet about as tall as Moss Agate herself. She was more serious, but still Domina. Something Moss Agate and the rest of the fleet were eternally thankful for.

Pink Pearl had returned from homeworld with a new purpose that Moss Agate was enabling with caution. Moss Agate was well aware that there was unrest within the empire, with the diamonds in mourning, or reborn, it would be hard for there not to be. But better to back a front that she was sure would bring no harm to Domina, she doubted Pink Pearl would ever participate in something that would hurt her diamond.

And through all this, as was to be expected, Vitus's body began to deteriorate. It began with a myocardial infarction six years into Domina's stay on Homeworld. Shortly after she returned, he was unable to walk unsupported.

The shuffle thump of Vitus's gate was unmistakable as he walked with his cane through the halls of the base. And Moss knew it wasn't just distressing to her.

"Come in Vitus." Moss Agate said before he could even knock on her door.

"Ah, how did you know?" He asked with a wry smile. Moss Agate rolled her eyes.

"What is it you need Vitus?" She asked turning to face him. He lowered himself into the chair with ease. Once Domina had left for Homeworld this had become a more regular occurrence, to the point where she could bring herself to be downright friendly with him.

"Gems, how exactly do you dispose of the shards?" He asked, his eyes squinted to focus on her as he leaned his cane against the wall within reach.

"Typically they're dissolved and reincorporated into the injector fluid at some point." Moss Agate said, frowning slightly at the morbidity of the question.

Vitus looked thoughtful. "No I don't think that will work." He said after a bit.

"Work for what?"

"I'm dying, Mossy." the sincerity with which he said that sent a chill through Moss Agates gem.

"Your... what how do you know? Now?!" Moss Agate shot to her feet practically leaping over the chair. Shards, should she call someone? Who though? She was the one other people would call in this situation!

All the while, through her panic, Vitus laughed. A loud rolling laugh that slowly devolved into coughing.

"Not now, not now, don't worry Mossy." He said as the coughing subsided as Moss Agate carefully lowered herself back into her chair, with as much dignity as she had left.

"I don't really know." Vitus said after a while of heavy recovering breaths. "But I am old, and I'm not completely unaware." He shrugged. "Humans die, its nature."

Moss Agate gaped for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed. Dying but... stars he had only been here for forty years, there were gems that had been implanted before he had arrived that still hadn't emerged. Vitus was patient though, he continued smiling at her, a warm smile that didn't quite reach his worry and pain-filled eyes.

"What is it exactly..." Moss Agate folded her hands to weigh them to her lap. "That you need from me?"

The arrangements weren't hard to make. A human body could easily fit in the incinerator, an ounce of gold was easily procured from one of the labs, the urn had to be specifically requested, but took a gypsum only a few hours to complete.

What was hard was what came after Vitus had told her the arrangements that needed to be made.

As if the burden was lifted, his last task done, Vitus' health rapidly declined. He slept more, ate less, and moved slower. Domina continued as normal, but Moss Agate saw less of her outside of meetings and site surveys.

At last, there was a knock on her door, and the plans lurch, oiled by grief into motion.

There was another knock weeks later, This one more familiar.

"What is it you need my diamond?" Moss Agate asked as the haggard-looking Domina stepped into the room. The hollow look in her eyes were still there though now the hole of grief was covered by a thin film of purpose.

"We- Pearl and I are leaving tomorrow. I'm going to take a few of the survey paths and follow them out to... something interesting."

"That... will be fine my diamond, How long do you plan to be gone for?"

"I don't know," Domina said, her eyes had drifted to the floor, and after a moment she lowered herself into a chair. She rubbed the setting of her gem. "Stars I really don't know..."

Moss Agate hesitated, unsure by the vacant expression on her face. Where once she had been unsettled by the presence of emotion from White Diamond, the lack of emotion from Domina was somehow more terrifying.

"What if I can't do it Mossy? What if I'm not capable?" Domina asked, her voice monotone as she continued to stare a hole in the floor. "I'm not programmed for this."

"MY diamond you don't have any programming."

"I know and that's the entire problem!" Domina snapped, finally tears spilling from her eye breaking the monotony. "I'm human, half-human, half useless because of my body, half useless because I can't control my age, or my emotions or..."

"My Diamond. You are not to blame for this." her mind raced back to when the diamond was younger, those comforting methods most likely wouldn't be sufficient. "Organics, humans, are not as long-lived as gems, they're existence is limited by their body."

"Including my body Mossy, What happens when one day it is all too much and I..I just slip away."

"That won't happen," Moss Agate reassured her quickly. As if the idea had never occurred to her in the last 4 decades. "You are also half gem."

"It already has.. Earlier today I..." Domina shook her head and fingered the edges of her hair. It had been cut, Moss Agate noticed, not particularly well either. "It doesn't matter, I shouldn't be here, in the fleet, the empire, anywhere."

"And just what brought you to that conclusion?" Moss Agate attempted to remain calm, stars no one had planned for this eventuality. If White Diamond decided to leave then what? And what was she talking about controlling her age? From the beginning, White Diamond had plans for this child, for Domina. And those plans had already been derailed so much. Were these the consequences or would this have happened anyway?

"I... I'm not a good diamond Mossy, surely you can see that." Domina stared at her. "And I'm never going to be. I'm too different, I care too much, I'm too weak, too.."

"Domina," Moss Agate began. The diamond blinked in surprise and her eyes focused. "None of that matters. I understand your pain and think all the more of you that you feel it. Your father told me that humans feel grief as a part of life, as a part of recognizing the import that someone had in their life."

"But I'm not-" Domina began and Moss held out a hand.

"Allow me to finish, please. You may not be a gem, and you may not be human but your care and emotions make you thoughtful, The worry you hold for other gems makes you consider the weight of your decisions more so than any other elite gem." Moss Agate had blown past the unease of interrupting a diamond and realized that she was rambling now. But Domina didn't look irritated, she did stare at her though, with wide red-rimmed eyes that had been filled with shock.

"So take your time," Moss continued. "Go and wander, think and heal. But come back. We need you here, caring and keeping us in your thoughts. You may not be a gem or a human but Domina, you are our Diamond. And you are the best we could have ever hoped for."

Domina didn't say anything for the longest time, and Moss Agate worried that she may have overstepped.

"...Perhaps I've said too much my Dia-"

Any apologies were interrupted by Domina pulling her into a hug, not as tight as it could have been, but the diamond, shuddered and held her close for several breaths before letting her go.

"Thank you Mossy," Domina said wiping her eyes again, Moss Agate chose to ignore the wet spot that had formed on her own form, it would dry. "I... I needed that."

"Glad to be of service my diamond." Moss Agate said with relief. "Now, please, be safe, message back when you are able and return when you ready."

Hours later, after Domina's amalgamation of a ship left the Atmosphere, Moss Agate opened her screen and a file that had barely been opened in 30 years.

 _By the time she has reached her third decade, I imagine she will be fully capable of her duties, several planets have been scouted for her to begin the colonization process, leading the beyrls in site selection and making decisions on gems implanted-_

Moss Agate closed the file and deleted it. This definitely wasn't part of the plan but, if there was anything she had learned from Vitus, and from Domina, it was that White diamond's plan wasn't going to match up to reality in the least bit.

And that was fine, preferable even.

White Diamond was gone and Domina was here now. And Moss Agate hadn't been exaggerating in the least bit. It was the best she could have ever hoped for.


End file.
